Day 2: Beyond Your Performance

Today the kids are learning about moving beyond counting on any of their works to earn salvation. They looked at Abraham and the fact that he had faith in God and it was counted to as righteousness.

Last night our camp pastor spoke to our students about how great and holy God is and how sinful we are. Several of our students responded by saying they knew they could do a better job at reflecting Christ in their daily lives.

However, I'm really excited to say that, after last night, we also have a new brother in Christ! Camp is going great, and we're so excited to see what else God has in store for us as the week progresses. Keep praying and we will see you all soon!

Day 1: Beyond Your Position

Hey Everyone!

As you can see below we have arrived safely and activities are well underway. Today the students are looking at getting Beyond their position. In worship tonight we will look at the seperation that exists between God and sinners without Christ. Pray for the students to see the huge gap that sin puts between them and God and that they would be broken by their sin.

As you can see from the photos our students have started their POI's and are loving camp. I will continue to update as much as possible and also try to get more pics up when I can. Thanks for praying for us. Please continue to do so!

We;re Off!!!

Well, by the time time you read this we will have left the parking lot with your children. I'm really looking forward to this week. We have a great group of students and I know that God will work in their lives. With that said, please begin to pray, even now, for the students and adults on this trip. Pray that God would work His will in all of our lives and that students would be significantly changed. It is my prayer that some of our students find a personal relationship with Jesus Christ this week. Others, who have that relationship already, will be challenged to mature in their relationship with Him. Your prayer will play a huge part in that. Don't just pray for your student. Pray for all of us to draw near to the Lord and that we would continue to draw near to him long after camp has ended.

I will update the blog as often as I can so check back for pictures! We'll see you on Sunday!

Devotional Time's

Each night before bedtime we spend about an hour in devotional time. We pray and meditate on a passage of Scripture each night and discuss it once we are through. It is such a sweet time and we are never disappointed in our time together. Each night God has shown us something amazing within his Word. Tonight was 1 Timothy 4. But, before we began our discussional time in the passage we were interrupted by John, the Pastor of Hamden Baptist Church. He came down into the basement to talk with us (unscheduled). Hamden is an older congregation and they let the Village Church share the facility since they are such a new congregation. He first apologized for interrupting us but wanted to share something with us. He began to share how the things Dan Hyuhn, Pastor of Village Church, had us doing in the community was causing quite a stir. He shared with us that every kid we have encountered is going home and shouting in excitement. He later on shared that it is causing a lot of the kids parents to wonder what is going on in Hamden and at the Village Church.

To our excitement of hearing this we were humbled on how the Lord was using us in the Hamden Community. Hamden and all of Baltimore is full of so much spiritual darkness (We have seen it) John continued to share that the work the Lord has us doing in Hamden is providing so much excitement that a lot of the families we are connecting with are planning on attending this Sunday for worship! Isn't the Lord amazing. On mission trips it is very easy to fall into the trap of the enemy and become discouraged. I think this was the Lord's way of saying, well done, but keep going finish strong on the path that I have laid out for you.

So tomorrow we are having our sports camp/kids fest celebration (block party) at the Village Church from 6 - 8pm. We need you as a family to pray for this night. Please ask God to do a mighty work and bring the families of the kids we have connected with through the sports camp and kids fest to the Village Church tomorrow for the block party.

Our kids will be making balloon animals, face painting, serving food, playing games and fellowshiping with the neighbors. Dan has been saying all week that we have been pionneering for the Village Church this week. This is the first time that Dan and the Village Church have ever done anything like this as an outreach for kids. Your child has been used by God to do a mighty work this week and we wait in expectation to see what the Lord does after we leave. We will wait patiently and trust in the Lord that he will see his Gospel come to full fruition in the lives of the people in Hamden. Pray for Hamden and pray for more laborers to come too Baltimore. There is a great need for the Gospel to be shouted in love from the rooftops and your child is getting the opportunity to take part in this here. Will you join them and do this in your community? The need is just as great there as it is here.

Blessings,
Bryan

Double Duty Day!!!

Today we began our kids fest! But before that we had day two of our sports camp at the Roosevelt Recreation Center. This morning we had about 20 students participate in our sports camp which was down 20 from the previous day due to some kids not being able to come. It was still a very successful day. Our students are connecting more and more with the kids in this area which is providing more and more credibility for the Village Church and its pastor and members.

We played soccer at sports camp today and that seemed much more successful than basketball, because it was a little easier to instruct for the younger age group. All was well at the camp today until I started to kick a soccer ball around in the gym. There is one kid at the sports camp named Sean, who I will just say is very lively and likes sports and competing. So I thought it would be a good idea to have him play goalie and I would try to score on him. Bare in mine that he his 10 and I am 25. This would be like me going against soccer star David Beckham, if you are familiar with him. In no way am I David Beckham or will I ever aspire to be like him. So, as the story goes I began to dribble the soccer ball at him about 40 feet away and then my competitive spirit takes over after I saw Sean's face saying, "bring it on, buddy" Like David against Goliath Sean stood his ground. I kicked the ball as hard as I could, and not purposefully, the ball sailed straight to his face and nailed him straight in the lip. As he fail to his knees I came back to reality and realized what I had done. Luckily, he was fine no blood or tears. Sean, was a little stunned after his head shot back in whip lash from the blow. But we made up and he was back in the goal standing his ground 1 minute later. He was a tough kid to say the least and I didn't kick the ball much more after that.

The kids fest was very successful. We were prepared for 2 kids or 20 kids. We had 7 kids show up and our 15 students from Living Hope loved on each one of those 7 kids who came to the sports camp. We learned from Dan that a lot of the kids who came were new visitors to the Village Church and it was great for us to get to minister to those families kids. Jake Trabue shared the bible story today about creation and Taylor Allen shared the 7 day creation wheel. And they did a wonderful job.

At the end of the kids fest Dan pulled me aside and asked if he thought we would be ok with trying to throw a last minute block party on Thursday night from 6-8pm. So tomorrow we are going to do 2 days of kids fest in one day. Chelsea Halter will be sharing the story of how Jesus Loves the Little Children and then Michael Paladino will be sharing the story of Easter and the Resurrection. Please pray for them.

As we have been preparing for Baltimore, we have known that there could be changes to come and must be willing to do what ever the church and pastor would need at anytime. Our team has responded with much maturity and flexibility in the change to lead a block party on Thursday instead of the kids fest. Dan senses that holding a block party will be the best use of our teams time and will be most effective for the Village Church in getting the neighbors and families onto the church lot.

So, we will need your prayers for the rest of the week and the changes for Thursday.

Blessings,
Bryan

Day 2and 3

Sorry for not posting the last two days. It has been hard to find time to update.

Today we began our sports camp and we couldn't have been anymore excited. And neither could Kim, Kelsey, Matt and I after we saw how well our student leaders were doing. We had about 40 kids participate with us. And our students were prepared, ready, and focused. I can't put into words how great our team acted and how well they lead the 40 kids this morning. Since we had so many kids we couldn't teach them all together, but the students immediate took the initiative to split up into smaller groups and began to teach, connect, and minister to each kid that was in their small group. It really opened the door for our team to connect with more kids.

It was a blessing for Kim, Matt, Kelsey, and I to sit back and watch each student lead their section and group at the camp. There were some challenges, but the students quickly adjusted to those challenges and made it a fun morning for every child there.

Dan Hyuhn, the pastor of the Village Church, shared with us Sunday, yesterday, how most families don't see many high school aged students trying to give back and lead in their community (we are here to do more than that in the name of Christ). He was just saying that this sports camp and kids fest will be such an encouragement to all the families in this area and will give them such a fresh perspective on the church and Village Church. All that to be said, God is using us in a mighty way for his kingdom and the Village Church.

We are going into the inner harbor this evening for dinner and a little tourism, but we are all in for a few hours getting some rest. Please continue to pray for us. Specifically that we will be bold and flexible in whatever way God leads and uses us.

Blessings,
Bryan

A long drive!

We have finally made it! We arrived at 10:30pm EST. We were blessed to be on the road from 7:30AM CST to 10:30 EST (sarcasm added). We are waiting for the trailor from the adult team so we can set up camp at the church we are staying at.

So far God has protected us and given us a safe travel. When we got here we got to talk to a neighbor strolling down the sidewalk with her daughter and grandaughter. We got the opportunity to invite them to the sports camp and kids fest (BYBC) we will be hosting for The Village Church. It was a sweet moment for the students and leaders to watch Dan talk to her at 10:45 EST on the steps of the church and invite her to be apart of the activities this week. We are anxious to see what happens this week!

We just finished our devotion and prayer time. (same one we are asking you to do as a family while we are gone). It was a sweet time as we broke up into prayer groups and prayed for our activities and the opportunities we hope God gives us to minister to the community.

Time to go unload the trailor.

Blessings,
Bryan and leaders
P.S. Also, Matt Cassetty, adult chaperone, wanted you all to know that the Yankees beat the Blue Jays tonight!!! Good to know where his priorities are!

After Camp Devo #2

Farther Than You Think
Walk to one side of your yard and face away from the middle. Read 1 John 1:9. Spend the next few minutes agreeing with God about the sin in your life. This verse promises us that if we will admit our wrongdoings to him, he will forgive us.

When you have finished with your time of confession, turn around and walk to the opposite side of your yard. Read Psalm 103:8-12.

Isn’t that great!? Often we picture God as mean and angry, ready to yell at us for the slightest mess up. But this passage tells us God is loving and patient, and while he can get angry, he doesn’t get angry easily. God’s love for us is so big and strong we cannot understand it. And verse 12 shows us that we are not only forgiven of our sins, but we are separated from them. The wrongs you just confessed on the other side of your yard, God has thrown them away from you, the Bible says, “as far as the east is from the west.” Imagine that as you spoke those words of confession, they continued on in a straight line away from you forever. They went from your mouth, across the sky, out of the earth’s atmosphere, and infinitely through space away from you. Spend some time thanking God for his incredible love and patience and for separating you from your sin.

Proud to walk with you: Jeff

Altars

Remember When
Read Joshua 4.

Several times throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites built an altar out of rocks to remember what God had done for them. This is one of those occasions. God tells them people will ask about these stones, and instructs the Israelites to tell the inquirers the meaning behind the stones.

Think back to a time when you had an incredible experience with God at a camp . Maybe you could frame a T-shirt from that event and hang it in your room as an altar, a remembrance for what God did.

In the future when you encounter God, maybe you will want to pick up a rock from that place to remember your time with him.

These “altars” will not only help you remember God’s faithfulness when you are having a rough time, but will also give you the opportunity to brag on God to your friends when they ask you about them.

Spend a few minutes going over your devotions from Camp. jot down a few reminders from the week, and thank God for what you learned, and what commitments you made.

Hope House Directions

1:

Start out going SOUTHWEST on WESTEN ST toward KY-880/S CAMPBELL LN.

0.3 mi

2:

Turn RIGHT onto KY-880/S CAMPBELL LN.

0.8 mi

3:

Turn RIGHT onto US-31W/NASHVILLE RD.

1.2 mi

4:

Turn LEFT onto UNIVERSITY BLVD/US-231. Continue to follow UNIVERSITY BLVD.

1.1 mi

5:

UNIVERSITY BLVD becomes S KENTUCKY ST/US-68 E/KY-80 E.

0.9 mi

6:

Turn LEFT onto E MAIN AVE.

0.1 mi

7:

Turn LEFT onto ADAMS ST/US-68 W/KY-80 W.

0.1 mi

8:

Turn RIGHT onto 10TH AVE E.

0.1 mi

9:

End at 112 W 10th Ave Bowling Green, KY 42101-2004

New pick up time

Hey folks it looks like it may be around 3:45 to 4 arrival time please note change.

Arrival time update

Parents it looks like we will now be arriving at 4:30... Will update if a change

Which Day is it?

Which Day of Camp is it?

I think it is hard to put into words exactly what takes place when our students are together. If you have experienced the camaraderie of a team, or the closeness of a group of people who share a common experience, you understand. If you are not there, you cannot always put into words to explain what the others have seen. They will share stories that will be retold a hundred times, and laugh every time. If you were not there, you miss the punch line. They will act out scenarios that involve tripping over a rock in front of that cute guy from another church. Or what took place on that recreation field in front of the whole camp. Shared experiences are the gold mine of memories. How can you tell the story of what takes place at our church group time. It is hard to feel what Harrison Bowles felt like when the youth group surrounded him to embrace him and pray for him and welcome him into their family of faith. (Harrison is going to be baptized this Sunday at 9:30). Harrison felt the hands of the group that stood to hug him, and pray over him, as he takes his first steps of obedience. As well, Harrison needed to know that there are no school colors flown at church, we are all a part of HIS family. It does not matter if your school is not the majority. Harrison does not stand alone.
Your student will come back tomorrow with stories, inside jokes, and experiences. They should, that is what camp is all about. Everyone is excited to share their experience with family, and friends. Yet, a few fear coming home. Coming home to old habits, old memories they would like to forget, and friends that will not care about their camp experience, or what God did in their lives. So parents you must help them to remember their commitments they made. You must remind them that the God they experienced daily on the mountain top waits to speak to them each day. You must remind them of their new friends in the faith, and the family of faith that will miss them if they sleep in on Sunday. You must remind them of who God is, and what he did, and what they experienced. Camp is used as a reminder of a God who wants to have daily shared experience with us.

Jeff

Camp Day 3

Rain, Steep climbs to Rec Hill, and Lack of Sleep could not dampen the spirits of Hope students. Every afternoon a thunderstorm has rolled in, and literally poured on Ridgecrest. The hill we all climb each day is a long and steep one. Sleep seems to elude a few of the adults. Is anyone complaining? Not in the slightest. The food is phenomenal, the staff, adult volunteers, and attitude of the campers are fantastic. Everyone, adults, and students are seeing God begin to move in new ways. Here are a few highlights:

Students were challenged to take a stand for Christ.
One of our students stood to receive Christ.
In our church group devotions, many stood to share what God was doing in their life.
George Woodard feels a call to the mission field.
Taylor Allen feels God leading her to missions in some way.
Kris Bridgeman stood and shared that God was speaking to him about becoming more vocal with his faith. As Kris stood to share, tears welled up in my eyes, and in a few eyes of the guys in his small group. You would have to know Kris, awesome student, extremely quiet. His standing to share in front of us was HUGE. Go Kris. Go God.
Sam Wilson, and Michael Paladino, stood and spoke....those two guys are LEADERS> ...
Fred Pursley : also known as Mr. Camp, stood and inspired the whole room. Thank the Lord for men like Fred.

Pray for us today...Jeff

Camp Day 3

Camp Day 3

Camp day Two

Day Two :
Matthew 4: Jesus Calls The first disciples:
18 aWhile walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Last night the message was from Matthew 4. When Jesus called his disciples, it says that they dropped their nets, left their dad, and followed him. Key word in this passage: immediately. Here is the official definition of immediately :
without lapse of time; without delay; instantly; at once:
In other words, Andrew and Peter did not tell Jesus they would pray about it. They did not ask him to wait so they could put their nets away, and sell the fish they may have collected. They just dropped what they were doing and followed.
Your student, was challenged last night to obey immediately. My wife has a little saying she tells our children when it comes to obedience. “Obey, right away, with a happy heart”…Sounds pretty good to me. Ask your student when they return from camp, what God has asked them to leave behind? You might be surprised at their answer. In fact, I asked God last night what he wanted me to leave behind to follow him..I was surprised at the answer.

Quick Camp Updates:
Students participated in track times yesterday. Some of the favorites were “Battle ball” , Digital photography, and missions.
Students are making new friends, within our church, and with other churches.
Students are breaking in the “new adult counselors” . Rex Woodard, a rookie camp leader, had a crash course with the 9th grade boys. According to Rex: “They would not talk in discussion time. ..they would not sleep at night”
This morning he gave a praise report that the guys bonded last night, and God begin to move in their discussion time. However, ….still no sleep. (:
Sam and Jacob won “eating pudding through a panty hose” game. ( yeah)
Taylor Buckles, Jacob Carr, and Mallory Harmon, did great with the marbles in the ice bucket race.
Seth Stewart, and Casey Clemmons did their best to win in the paper tongue contest.
All of our students are doing a phenomenal job, and having a great time. See you tomorrow.

See Pictures from Yesterday below:

Pictures from Day 2

Pictures From Camp Day 2